A26906:945
The cure of church-divisions, or, Directions for weak Christians to keep them from being…
The cure of church-divisions, or, Directions for weak Christians to keep them from being dividers or troublers of the church with some directions to the pastors how to deal with such Christians / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for Nevil Symmons, 1670
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
And we need no other proof of this, and of the chief cause of the peoples divisions and mistakes, than the accusations and charges of the Ministers against each other. On every side it is the Pastors of the flocks that are accused, by those of the adverse party, as the chief offenders. One side saith, It is you that teach the people errors, and put scruples into their minds, and lead them into contempt of order and authority! And the other side saith, It is you that proudly ⟨p. 316⟩usurp authority which Christ never gave you, and lord it over Gods heritage, and by your own inventions lay snares before the people to divide them, and will not suffer them to unite in their proper centre, and agree in the primitive simplicity. And that bring the Ministry into hatred and contempt by your cruelty and vicious lives.] And whilst each side is thus accused by the other, they have all the greater cause to suspect themselves: Because it seemeth to be agreed on all hands, that it is the Pastors who are principally in the fault, though it be not agreed what the fault is, nor which party of the Pastors must bear the blame.
And we need no other proof of this, and of the chief cause of the peoples divisions and mistakes, than the accusations and charges of the Ministers against each other. On every side it is the Pastors of the flocks that are accused, by those of the adverse party, as the chief offenders. One side saith, It is you that teach the people errours, and put scruples into their minds, and lead them into contempt of order and authority! And the other side saith, It is you that proudly ⟨p. 316⟩usurp authority which Christ never gave you, and lord it over Gods heritage, and by your own inventions lay snares before the people to divide them, and will not suffer them to unite in their proper center, and agree in the primitive simplicity. And that bring the Ministery into hatred and contempt by your cruelty and vicious lives.] And whilest each side is thus accused by the other, they have all the greater cause to suspect themselves: Because it seemeth to be agreed on all hands, that it is the Pastors who are principally in the fault, though it be not agreed what the fault is, nor which party of the Pastors must bear the blame.